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Press ReleaseHealthcare Facilities Begin Work to Prevent Legionella Growth in Water SystemsEMLab P&K offers laboratory and planning services to Medicare certified healthcare facilities who are building and instituting water management plans in response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ recent memorandum. South San Francisco, CA, August 7, 2017 - EMLab P&K, a TestAmerica company and a leading commercial indoor air quality (IAQ) laboratory in North America, is working with Medicare certified healthcare facilities, and those who support them, while in the beginning phases of response to a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) memo. Nationally, healthcare facilities are now required to put water management measures into place to actively prevent the growth of Legionella and other opportunistic pathogens; the growth of which has spiked in recent years across the country. Per the memo released by CMS, of the Legionnaires disease “outbreaks in the United States occurring in 2000–2014, 19% of outbreaks were associated with long-term care facilities and 15% with hospitals. The rate of reported cases of legionellosis… has increased 286% in the US during 2000–2014.” Due to this rapid occurrence in medical facilities in recent years, CMS has put forth a requirement for compliance, stating that all certified facilities must: 1. identify sources where possible Legionella growth can occur; 2. construct a water management program specific to the facility; and 3. institute testing protocols that reduce the risk of water contamination. Along with this, CMS has directed facilities to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guide for developing a water management program, which can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/legionella/maintenance/wmp-toolkit.html "We are happy to be working nationally with healthcare facilities, consultants and water treatment companies by providing analysis for Legionella and other waterborne pathogens,” said Dave Gallup, EMLab P&K’s General Manager and Co-Founder. “Our new and existing clients have stated how valuable our industry leading QA/QC systems are, along with our strong adherence to accreditation standards." Accredited by AIHA-LAP, LLC, and NYS DOH ELAP; EMLab P&K provides unbiased third-party review of quality performance through a strict and rigorous series of assessments. Many EMLab P&K laboratories are also members of the CDC Elite proficiency testing program, and under this program are certified as proficient for Legionella water testing. EMLab P&K is qualified to support healthcare facilities, and those who contract with these facilities, through laboratory analysis, Quality Assurance, webinar classes, and more. To discuss your healthcare facility’s water systems management plan, please contact one of EMLab P&K’s Regional Account Managers: https://emlab.com/app/contact/Contact.po, or by calling 866-888-6653. Please join EMLab P&K for the complimentary webinar:
"Legionella and Legionellosis: New Regulations and Detection Methods" with Dr. Michael Berg
Tuesday, October 10th | 9 a.m. (PT), 11 a.m. (CT), 12 p.m. (ET)
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